Maneuvers

Aerial Stab

For when you want to look like Brad Pitt in Troy. Start with a Dexterity/Gymnastics and end with a Dexterity/Praelium/-3. Deals triple damage after appropriate modifiers.

Aiming

Steady. Hold. Fire! Aiming delays the shot until the end of the Turn. The player rolls Perception + Archery, and the amount of Success Levels is then applied to the actual attack roll, which is then processed at the end of the Turn.

Bite

Combat is often haphazard and confused. When those times come, you might do anything. Including biting someone. Uses dexterity/pankration. Does strength damage, in slash/stab. A neck bite, if grappled, is dexterity/pankration/-3 and does x2 damage.

Brain Shot

The eyes. Go for the eyes. This yields x4 damage for projectiles and x2 damage up close. Usually dexterity/archery/-4.

Catch Weapon

What do you think? Dexterity + Pankration with a modifier of -5. In order to catch the weapon, you must match or beat the roll of the attacker (defending roll always wins). If you fail, though, take an additional +5 Base damage to the hit.

Cavalry Charge

Charging with your horse successfully is devastating. Apply x3 damage to whatever your total is. Roll a normal Dexterity/Machia to hit. However, there's a catch. You have to make a Perception/Riding roll that must equal the success levels of your Dexterity/Machia roll, or you fall short.

Decapitation

Decapitation uses Dexterity + Machia, with a modifier of -5. If successful, damage is x5 after success levels are added and any armor or defensive qualities are applied. If the damage exceeds the victim's life points, he dies.

Double Decapitation

Take blades, form X, apply pressure. Double Decapitation uses Dexterity + Machia, with a modifier of -6. If successful, damage is x8 after success levels are added and any armor or defensive qualities are applied. If the damage exceeds the victim's life points, he dies. To use this maneuver. you must be dual-wielding.

Disarm

Disarm uses a Resisted Action with a Dexterity/Machia or Pankration, with a modifier of -2 against the target's Parry action.

Dodge

Dodging is essential to any combat- unless you're parrying. You may pair dexterity with gymnastics, pankration, archery, or machia in order to dodge. Note that dodging projectiles is at a -2 without cover. Using Archery to dodge a melee attack suffers a -2 penalty.

Double Jump Kick

This works like a Jump Kick, but with a -4 instead of a -3 penalty. You attack two targets at once, though they must both be in attacking distance for you to do so. Opponents may defend as normal. You must have a minimum Dexterity of 4 to use this maneuver.

Double Stab

Very difficult to do. Roll DEX/Praelium/-4 and it counts as a hit for both. You may only attempt this maneuver if you have Dual-Weapon Fighting.

Feint

If you'd like to mislead your opponent into giving up an opening, this is the maneuver for you. Feinting counts as a Resisted Action, which means you don't lose an action when using it, it is simply an automatic roll. The person feinting rolls Intelligence + Praelium/Pankration, while their opponent may roll Perception + Praelium/Pankration. If the attacker wins, they may add their total Success Levels from the Feint roll to their next attack roll.

Flying Knee

Like a Jump Kick, except cooler and harder to pull off. Roll a Dexterity/Gymnastics for the jump, and a Dexterity/Pankration/-4 for the knee. Damage is Str+1 x4, with a bonus from the Success Levels of the Acrobatics roll.

Flying Shoulder

…yeeeaaaah. Dexterity/Pankration/-4. Knocks people down. That's it.

Grapple

Use a Dexterity/Pankration/+2 in order to engage your opponent in a grapple. The attacker must decide what part of their opponent's body they wish to have grabbed: limbs, the whole body, or the neck. When Grappled, the defender is at -2 to all actions involving the grappled limb, or at -1 to all actions if grappled around their body. A neck Grapple doesn't impair the target, but does set them up for a Break Neck, Bite Neck or Choke maneuver. The defender can try to break free with a Strength + Strength roll versus another Grapple maneuver roll. Meeting or exceeding the Grapple maneuver roll will break the defender free.

Break Neck

First, you've got to grapple him. Then, you've got to roll a Strength/Pankration. Your poor victim rolls Strength/Constitution. If you win the roll, the base damage is Strength x 10 Bash damage. If the total damage reduces the defender to -10 Life Points or below, he has to pass a Survival test at a penalty equal to the success levels of the attacker's roll, and if he doesn't pass, he's a corpse.

Choke

Obviously, you've got to succeed at a grapple first…then roll a Strength/Pankration, while the other warrior rolls Strength/Constitution. If you win the roll, the base damage is Strength, Bashing damage. Further, the defender cannot breathe, and is at -3 to all actions and continues to take the same amount of damage for each round of combat that the Choke continues.

Elbow

Like a punch, except cooler. In a grapple, roll a Dexterity/Pankration. Deals Str+1 x2 damage.

Head Butt

The two opponents must either be in a Grapple, or be very close. Roll a Dexterity/Pankration (Or Strength, as a Power Attack) and if you win, you deal STR x 2 Bash damage. If you lose? You hurt yourself just as much. Of course, those who are grappled don't have to apply their grapple penalties to pull this off.

Knee

Like a kick, except cooler. In grappling range, roll a Dexterity/Pankration/-1. Deals Str+2 x2 damage.

Limb Break

If you have your target in a successful wrestling hold, you may choose to break a limb. Roll dexterity or strength/pankration -2 versus the target's strength or constition/pankration. If you succeed, that limb is broken.

Toss

Naturally, you grapple your victim - you've got have at least a Strength of 4, though. Then you roll a Strength/Strength/-4 versus your opponent's (single) Strength roll. If you win the roll, it does base damage of Strength, damage type Bash. Oh, and you get to throw the dude one yard per success level and he's on the ground, prone and idle for the round.

Wall Smash

Roll a Strength/Gymnastics against your opponent's Strength/Gymnastics. If you win, you throw the poor sod into a wall and he takes STR x 3 damage. Oh, and the GM may add some damage on to that, depending on environmental factors. Glass, spikes, things like that.

Wrestling Hold

Succeed at a grapple then roll a Strength/Pankration/-2 while the other guy can resist with the usual dodge or may struggle with a Strength/Pankration instead. Win, and he's at an additional -1 per success level to all moves as long as he's in the hold.

Groin Shot

Let this be a lesson to you. Wear a cup. Seriously, because with a -3 tacked on to a maneuver, any male (or anything with junk) has to make a Willpower roll with a penalty equal to the success levels of the hit or you're on the ground in the fetal position. You get to make more doubled willpower checks every round. Each round minuses the penalty by 1. Once you've succeeded, you're back up. Those not blessed with man-parts roll a simple Willpower/Willpower/-1 roll instead.

Jump Kick

First, make a Dexterity/Gymnastics roll. If you fail that, you look like an idiot. If you do pass it, roll a Dexterity/Pankration/-3 in order to do 3 x (STR-1) Bash damage. Add the bonuses from your Dexterity/Gymnasticsroll to that.

Kick

Dexterity/Pankration/-1. In some cases, Sports or Art (Dance) may be substituted for Kung Fu. Base damage is 2 x (STR + 1) Bash.

Knockout

If you're that guy who doesn't believe in killing anyone, no matter how badly he wants to kill you, you're probably going to end up using this one a lot. Basically, apply a -2 penalty to any maneuver that results in Bash damage and you do half the damage but your target has to make a Constitution/Constitution roll with a penalty equal to the successes of your attack. If his roll loses, well, lights out.

Melee Weapon

Dexterity + Praelium. You might want to look up the kind of weapon you'll be using.

Multishot

By stringing two projectiles at once, you may fire both of them. This is rolled as Dexterity/Archery/-3 or Dex/Praelium/-6, and allows both to hit simultaneously. You may use these two to target a specific area/with a maneuver but will suffer the penalties of both only if you have the Dead Eye quality.

Parry

It's like Dodge. Dexterity + Machia. Parrying thrown weapons requires an additional -2 modifier. Arrows and crossbow bolts can be parried with a modifier of -4.

Power Attack

You know how professional the Olympics have things like weight-classes? They're there for a reason: more muscle means more quick reflex/fast muscle-twitch fibers. So that guy who towers over you? Looks like he can bench-press a small village? Don't be surprised when his punches come at you like a freight-train. For the bigger, heavy hitter who relentlessly smashes her way through defenses or gives up openings in order to get a hit in. She may use Strength to replace Dexterity in a Punch, Kick, or basic Melee Weapon attack. However, she suffers a penalty equal to her success levels on her next defensive action.

Punch

Classic! Dexterity + Pankration. Base damage is Strength x 2, damage type is Bash.

Quick Draw

Unsheathing your weapon with speed is often a must in frantic combat, and this allows you to do it without using an action. Roll a Dexterity/Praelium/-3 in order to do so.

Shield Bash

The Aspis allows for a shield bash, which can be used to not only damage your opponents but to disrupt them. Dexterity/Machia/-3. Does Strx2 bash damage and leaves the target stunned for the next round.

Slam-Tackle

Laying the Smackdown on one's candy ass. Expect football and wrestling types to know this one. Strength + Gymnastics, and while this maneuver can be Dodged, it cannot be Parried. On a successful hit, base damage is Strength x 2, damage type is Bash. If the target fails to Dodge, they must make a Strength (not doubled) roll with at least two Success Levels, or go down hard. At the end of a successful Slam-Tackle, the attacker can Grapple their opponent's legs or torso without needing to roll, but cannot do so as part of taking multiple actions.

Slap

For abusive husbands, theatrically-shocked wives, and Pimps Named Slickback everywhere. Roll a Dexterity + Pankration - 1. Damage is Strength - 2, Bash. It's awesome, though. Expect some major Drama Points if you pull one off at an opportune time. Plus, it's always good to have a back-up maneuver.

Spin-Kick

Please don't mention Chuck Norris. But feel free to roll a Dexterity/Pankration/-2 to do 2 x (STR + 2) damage, Bash.

Takedown

Sometimes you just wanna put someone down on the mat. Hard. Strength + Pankration. If the target fails to Parry or Dodge, they get thrown to the ground and take Strength damage without any modifiers. If they succeed, the Takedown fails and they stay up.

Target Limb

Maybe you want to do something short of death - but something that'll hurt enough for your enemies to remember you by. Use this. Roll the appropriate Combat Maneuver with a -2 penalty. Doing over half the damage equal to the defender's maximum amount of Life Points cripples the limb or severs it completely.

Throat Jab

This nifty moves uses a Dexterity/Pankration/-4 roll to yield Strength x2 damage. Additionally, it chokes and silences your victim for a number of rounds equal to your success levels. Each round deals Strength damage.

Thrown Weapon

So there's not a ranged weapon in sight and you need to get a hit in without getting up close. Or maybe you just like your specially made boomerangs that make cool sounds. Whatever the case, roll a Dexterity/Machia/-1. Check out weapons for the damage.

Wall Flip

Roll a Dexterity/Gymnastics -3. Succeed and get a +4 bonus to all defensive actions for the rest of the round. And if you don't succeed? You fall on your ass and take STR x 2 (your strength) bash damage.

Whirlwind

Spin around and around! You get to roll a Dexterity/Machia/-4 or Dexterity/Pankration/-5 (for a whirling kick) to attack or defend against everyone within reach. For each turn this is continued, you get a -2 penalty in order to keep it up.